Binance is under investigation by the United States Justice Department (DOJ) national security division for allowing Russians to use the cryptocurrency exchange in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to a report that appeared in Bloomberg on May 5. There have been no accusations against the company or its executive in connection with the investigation. The
Following Binance’s withdrawal from the Voyager Digital deal on April 25, the now-defunct crypto lender has recently informed creditors that they can expect to receive their initial cash and crypto distributions “within the next few weeks.” This update comes nine days after Binance’s decision to back away from the deal. Voyager Digital Expects Initial Distributions
Fedi, the U.S.-based fintech which is led by the Nigerian bitcoin advocate Obi Nwosu, said on May 3 that it recently raised $17 million in a Series A funding round. The company said it will use the funds to help it launch what it called the “world’s first federated operating system.” Obi Nwosu said the
A transaction on the Ethereum blockchain is technically initiated by an external account owner (not a contract). For example, if User A sends 1 Ether (ETH) to User B, the action of debiting from one account and crediting to another changes the blockchain’s state. The change specifically takes place on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued its largest-ever whistleblower award totaling $279 million. The SEC generally issues awards ranging between 10% to 30% of collected monetary sanctions that are larger than $1 million. To receive such an award, the whistleblower needs to have provided information that directly assists the SEC in successfully
Texas has taken its first steps in order to approve a bill that would issue a 100% gold-backed digital currency. If enacted as law, the bill, which is being discussed by a Texas House committee, would create an electronic system for users to transact and pay with this digital currency and would also allow them
Professor Ashok Swain of Uppsala University’s Department of Peace and Conflict Research says Saudi Arabia joining the BRICS economic bloc “would accelerate the bilateral trading being conducted using the yuan as the trading currency. ” How Saudi Arabia Joining BRICS Could Boost Use of Chinese Yuan Ashok Swain, a professor of peace and conflict research at
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has warned of “highly uncertain and adverse” economic consequences if the U.S. defaults on its debt obligations. “No one should assume that the Fed can protect the economy from the potential short and long-term effects of a failure to pay our bills on time,” he further cautioned. Fed Chair Jerome
The government of Kazakhstan has collected over $7 million in taxes this and last year from enterprises mining cryptocurrency in the country. The news comes amid growing regulatory pressure that is limiting the industry’s access to low-cost energy while increasing its tax burden. Miners Face Higher Expenses, More Challenges Under New Legislation Kazakhstan’s coffers have
Recent data reveals that while the banking industry in the U.S. is facing significant challenges, executives are mentioning “credit tightening” more frequently in earnings calls than during the 2008 financial crisis. Additionally, Google Trends data indicates a surge in search queries related to bank failures and crises. The findings suggest that the U.S. economy is
On May 4, Argentina’s central bank banned payment providers from offering crypto transactions, alleging it intends to reduce the country’s payment-system exposure to digital assets. According to a statement from the monetary authority, payment providers may not offer or facilitate crypto services through their applications. The move brings payment fintechs and financial institutions under the
According to John Reed Stark, crypto exchange Coinbase’s assertions that its business activities were endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when it approved its initial public offering are “a surefire loser.” According to Stark, the SEC’s approval of Coinbase’s registration statement was done to ensure the latter had made “proper disclosures in
CEO Tim Cook gave a rare, if guarded, glimpse into Apple’s walled garden during the Q&A portion of a recent earnings call when asked his thoughts on generative artificial intelligence (AI) and where he “sees it going.” Cook refrained from revealing Apple’s plans, stating upfront, “We don’t comment on product roadmaps.” However, he did intimate
United States inflation and how it might affect the price of Bitcoin (BTC) are two of the top concerns on investors’ minds around the world. To illustrate, one prominent crypto personality bet big bucks on the future of the U.S. economy: the former Coinbase executive recently paid out $1.5 million to settle a Twitter wager
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is challenging United States President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has taken to Twitter again to share more of his thoughts on cryptocurrency. Kennedy criticized Biden on May 2 for calling the U.S. banking system “safe and sound” the previous day. “Today, bank stocks
Letitia James has reportedly proposed legislation that would give the New York Attorney General’s office more authority to regulate the crypto industry. In a May 5 announcement, the NY AG’s office planned to submit a bill called the Crypto Regulation, Protection, Transparency and Oversight Act, or CRPTO, in the state’s 2023 legislative session. The proposed
The crypto platform Cryptoys, backed by Andreessen Horowitz, has announced the launch of Star Wars collectible digital toys featuring iconic characters Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia. Cryptoys stated on Thursday that 15 digital action figures will be available to collect in total, and the initial Star Wars non-fungible token (NFT) drop will begin
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, has announced the inspection of sites across the country “suspected of hosting illegally operated crypto ATMs.” In a May 5 announcement, the FCA said it had coordinated with local authorities in the cities of Exeter, Nottingham and Sheffield to raid facilities suspected of operating unregistered cryptocurrency ATMs.
As per the latest statistics recorded before the weekend, the meme token PEPE has witnessed a massive surge in value, following its recent listing on the crypto exchange Binance. In just seven days, the crypto asset has skyrocketed by 896% against the U.S. dollar, making it the third-largest meme token in terms of market valuation.
Macro Markets, hosted by crypto analyst Marcel Pechman, airs every Friday on the Cointelegraph Markets & Research YouTube channel and explains complex concepts in layperson’s terms, focusing on the cause and effect of traditional financial events on day-to-day crypto activity. PacWest Bancorp’s 50% price decline and the ongoing banking crisis are the first topics of